The Autism Reality Experience delivers hands-on training and taster sessions to help people better understand how acute sensitivities to light, sound and other things in the everyday environment can negatively impact individuals on the autism spectrum.

A new sensory experience has been set up at Glasgow Airport to give people a better understanding of some of the difficulties faced by people with autism.

The Autism Reality Experience delivers hands-on training and taster sessions to help people better understand how acute sensitivities to light, sound and other things in the everyday environment can negatively impact individuals on the autism spectrum.

Passengers and many of the airport’s 5000 staff have been encouraged to visit the Autism Reality Experience’ mobile sensory unit based outside the main terminal between 10am and 4pm today.

Those taking part will attempt a series of tasks while being subject to a range of effects designed to overload their vision, hearing and thought processes.

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Glasgow Airport’s Terminal Compliance Manager Paul Scott said: “We regularly receive requests from the carers or parents of people with autism who are planning to travel through the airport and the level of support they require can vary depending on the specific needs of the person travelling.

“We’ve been arranging pre-flight visits to the airport for a number of years. These can vary from a coffee and a chat through the process to arranging to take a person with autism on a familiarisation tour from the front door of the terminal right through to the aircraft.

“Both the terminal team and our Person of Restricted Mobility (PRM) supplier OCS work together with the airlines and our security team to tailor each of these visits to suit the individual.

“The number of requests we receive each year is increasing, so we thought it was important to bring in the Autism Reality Experience team today to ensure that both our staff and passengers can better appreciate the difficulties faced by people with autism doing something seemingly as straightforward as going through an airport.”

Charlene Tait, Director of Autism Practice and Research at the charity Scottish Autism, said: “We are delighted with Glasgow Airport and fully support its commitment to create the best possible environment for people with autism.

The sensory unit outside Glasgow Airport (Image: Martin Shields)

“Many autistic people and their families can find travelling through an airport to be a stressful experience. The crowds of people, bustling queues, security requirements and higher than usual noise levels, which are common features in many airports, along with the added tension that accompanies flying, can make air travel untenable for individuals who live with the condition.

“All these factors can cause sensory overload for people with autism, who can often have an adverse reaction to a unique and unpredictable environment which they cannot control.

“As a charity which is dedicated to helping people with autism get the most out of life, we are very pleased to see Glasgow Airport taking the lead within their industry by introducing this new initiative.

“This is another positive step forward which follows some of the progressive measures introduced by some other publicly accessible organisations including shopping centres and restaurants. These are welcome measures have the potential to help many individuals and their families access opportunities which they are currently denied.”